mr. Sun king coming together said
I know this album gets a lot of dislikers, but I love it. I love the Loose Attitude of it. What About You

It was the first album I ever bought - so has a major place in my love of music. We got our first record player the week I bought it and it had just been released a few weeks prior. I had heard some of the music on the radio and seen some clips on TV (I think they were from the rooftop concert), loved Get Back - and that was it.

Oh, and I don't buy into most theories on Long and Winding Road as noted in some of my other posts; I think Paul was just miffed at not being involved rather than hating the mix - the Broad Street version is just as schmaltzy.

You really think it was all because of spite?? Wow.

Spite? - possibly - I said miffed for a reason - for me it is much less strong a term than spite. But I also think that by this time he had finally realised that John (and maybe George) had no interest in the Beatles continuing and this was a good excuse to be making the split 'official' himself; rather than 'I have had enough of those clowns and I'm out of here'. He was able to shift the blame to the poor sod struggling to get the record out and away from his band - just in case he was able to talk them around. I'm not saying this was all conscious - some of it may have been his way of coping.

Taking action because you are "miffed" about something? To me that is spite. Call it whatever you like, as acmac said, sometimes you just have to agree to disagree, which we obviously do on this subject.

"Please don't bring your banjo back, I know where it's been.. I wasn't hardly gone a day, when it became the scene.. Banjos! Banjos! All the time, I can't forget that tune.. and if I ever see another banjo, I'm going out and buy a big balloon!"

22 December 20136.00pm

Linde

The Netherlands

Apple rooftop

Forum Posts: 2329

Member Since: 21 November 2012

Online

242

This was the first time I've ever heard that Give my regards to Broadstreet version of TLAWR.

Wow.

Wow, what a piece of crap. Horrible. Supercheesy and has a lot of strings too and a jazzy sax, which makes it worse. Of course everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, but how can anyone say that's a better version than the Let it be version?

21 January 201411.20am

Al Packer

A Beginning

Forum Posts: 2

Member Since: 21 January 2014

Offline

243

mr. Sun king coming together said
I know this album gets a lot of dislikers, but I love it. I love the Loose Attitude of it. What About You

It has a lot of great songs on it and despite the band friction at the time they sound pretty darn good.

21 January 20143.02pm

Billy Rhythm

Candlestick Park

Forum Posts: 543

Member Since: 22 December 2013

Offline

244

Al Packer said

i don't think Spector ruined it at all.

It has a lot of great songs on it and despite the band friction at the time they sound pretty darn good.

Agreed, to quote John Lennon himself, "He was given the shittiest load of badly recorded shit with a lousy feeling to it ever, and he made something of it... When I heard it, I didn't puke." John, George, Ringo & Allen (Klein) got it right by employing Phil Spector, as evidenced by the second-rate 'Naked" version later released, the Spector version even won a Grammy Award which Paul was quite happy to personally receive. His criticisms of Spector's arrangement for 'The Long And Winding Road' are a joke and wreak of sour grapes about something that has absolutely nothing to do with the final mix. His negative comments about hearing "female voices on a Beatles' record" are especially appalling, wasn't that Patti Harrison & Yoko Ono doing backing vocals on 'Birthday'? or, Yoko's voice on 'The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill' & 'Revolution #9'? I'm pretty sure that I hear "female voices" amongst the choir providing backing to 'Good Night' which has a similar arrangement, or what about Linda's vocals heard on his own album released at the same time? Phil Spector (Murder Rap aside) did a bang up job on the 'Let It Be' album, John & George thought so and thus hired him to produce their next solo works. Had Paul not opened his mouth about it, nobody else would've criticised the work at all and we would never had even had these conversations, by the way, didn't 'The Long And Winding Road' (Spector's version) make it to Number One as a single?

Paul's announcement about leaving the group (was there still even a group to leave?) and attempted smearing of Spector's work wreak of PR shenanigans to plug his own album, nothing more nothing less. Paul used Spector's arrangement for his own live shows later on (listen to 'Tripping The Live Fantastic&#39 and you know what they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Had John Lennon still been with us in 2003, I highly doubt that we would have gotten a 'Naked' album and rightfully so...:-)

21 January 20145.29pm

meanmistermustard

Moderator

Forum Posts: 12283

Member Since: 1 May 2011

Online

245

You could argue that The Long And Winding Road went to number one due to the recent announcement that the Beatles had split up (only about 11 days before)? Its common for fans to rush out and make more of an effort to buy the last album/single that is released by whatever band is splitting (why? i don't know but then i don't get it when folk rush out and buy every album of an artist as soon as they die).

I haven't heard Paul's most recent tour version of TLAWR but it wouldn't surprise me if it is the same arrangement as Spector's (maybe without the choir) - but then you could argue that that is down to the people-pleasing side of Paul, the same reason why he continues to perform certain songs night after night, tour after tour (Paul, please give some of the songs a rest or do something like Kylie did with her 'Anti Tour' where she performed b-sides and rare tracks).

Or you could say Paul was complaining due to the circumstances of the times back in 1970 and that it wasn't the work of Spector that pissed him off but that he wasn't consulted before it was carried out. He then had a sulk and a strop over it - lets not forget Paul's response was "i don't like like what you did, now don't do it again". If he really hated Spector's work surely he would have blocked its release.

Don’t make your love suffer insecurities, trade the baggage of self to set another one free.
('Paper Skin' - Kendall Payne)

21 January 20148.55pm

Billy Rhythm

Candlestick Park

Forum Posts: 543

Member Since: 22 December 2013

Offline

246

meanmistermustard said
You could argue that The Long And Winding Road went to number one due to the recent announcement that the Beatles had split up (only about 11 days before)? Its common for fans to rush out and make more of an effort to buy the last album/single that is released by whatever band is splitting (why? i don't know but then i don't get it when folk rush out and buy every album of an artist as soon as they die).

I have a hard time with that one, albums maybe, but people buy/play singles because they like the A-Side and not many are in the habit of buying a single before actually hearing the song first. Granted some will buy one because of a rare B-Side but this wasn't the case here for both songs (same versions) are on the 'Let It Be' album ('For You Blue' was on the flipside). Singles don't go to number one unless radio stations play them with high regularity and they sell a significant number of units, and it doesn't happen at all if the public doesn't like what they are hearing.

meanmistermustard said

I haven't heard Paul's most recent tour version of TLAWR but it wouldn't surprise me if it is the same arrangement as Spector's (maybe without the choir) - but then you could argue that that is down to the people-pleasing side of Paul, the same reason why he continues to perform certain songs night after night, tour after tour (Paul, please give some of the songs a rest or do something like Kylie did with her 'Anti Tour' where she performed b-sides and rare tracks).

I haven't heard the more recent renditions either, but the 'Tripping The Live Fantastic' version features atleast one "female voice" (Linda's). I have heard the more recent performances of 'Birthday' and I have to say that Patti Harrison & Yoko Ono did a much better job on the backing vocals than his current bandmates do, and they don't get the same "71 Year-Old Senior Citizen' pass that Paul gets for subpar vocal performances.

meanmistermustard said

Or you could say Paul was complaining due to the circumstances of the times back in 1970 and that it wasn't the work of Spector that pissed him off but that he wasn't consulted before it was carried out. He then had a sulk and a strop over it - lets not forget Paul's response was "i don't like like what you did, now don't do it again". If he really hated Spector's work surely he would have blocked its release.

This is part of it, but one of the biggest problems Paul had at the time was the 'Let It Be' release date which he felt was a deliberate attempt by the others to sabotage his own album which was slated for release the same week. This issue created quite a "pissing contest" for neither party (Allen Klein was certainly a factor) was willing to budge. This was actually the reason Ringo drove out to see Paul during that now famous Spring Day where Paul shouted and pointed his finger in Ringo's face vowing, "I'll finish you! I'll finish you all!!" Ringo & George, in fact, recommended that the 'Let It Be' album release be pushed back after this incident "if it means so much to him", but by then too many wheels were apparently in motion to delay it any further. Maybe it didn't "mean so much" to him and was simply the boiling point of everything in the pot, if you like, but Ringo trying to personally resolve the issue (he was always the most "neutral") was an act of good faith by the others.

It's really difficult for me to sympathize at all with Paul on any of this. For starters, the 'McCartney' album was one made in complete solace, it was one of the best kept secrets in recording history. Only Paul, Linda and a handful of engineers, who were sworn to secrecy, had first hand knowledge of the album in progress, Paul worked intensely hard on the project for he knew that his first real solo album (1966's 'The Family Way' Soundtrack aside) would be thoroughly judged by the masses, not to mention that he played all of the instruments himself. He had locked himself away in seclusion at his Scottish Farm for many months, putting some distance between him and The Beatles' affairs, but "the show had to go on" if Klein's strategies to fix the rotting apple were to be effective at all, and the 'Let It Be' project was a big part of Apple generating some much needed capital to avoid John's well publicized words voicing fear of going "broke in six months" from only a year earlier becoming reality.

John, George, Ringo, Allen Klein & Phil Spector were actively involved and consulting one another on the 'Let It Be' project and had set the release date before even knowing about Paul's 'McCartney' album's existence. They likely even telephoned Paul on several occasions for inclusion on consultations for 'Let It Be' and got no response, not only were there no cell phones in those days, but no answering machines either. He chose to hideout until his own album was ready and wanted to make a grand splash (which he did anyway) and expected everyone to just step aside for Sir Paul, and when it didn't quite go to his liking he pouted and sulked like, well, Yoko would've. I'm sure that Paul himself would do things differently if he had the opportunity to do it all over, but why bother reopening this old can of worms for a 'Naked' album? Spector's work had long stood the test of time and he just made himself look rather silly all over again, in my opinion...:-)

21 January 20149.11pm

meanmistermustard

Moderator

Forum Posts: 12283

Member Since: 1 May 2011

Online

247

Its not only that Paul looked silly, and childish, but also his actions have shown that Spector got it right with the majority of what he did with the tapes. There is no doubt in my head that Let It Be is far superior to Let It Be Naked (an album that really bugs me - we have two threads on that so no point in going down that route and repeating it all).

Don’t make your love suffer insecurities, trade the baggage of self to set another one free.
('Paper Skin' - Kendall Payne)

21 January 201410.13pm

trcanberra

Canberra, ACT

Apple rooftop

Forum Posts: 2571

Member Since: 29 August 2013

Offline

248

meanmistermustard said

Its not only that Paul looked silly, and childish, but also his actions have shown that Spector got it right with the majority of what he did with the tapes. There is no doubt in my head that Let It Be is far superior to Let It Be Naked (an album that really bugs me - we have two threads on that so no point in going down that route and repeating it all).

I agree - I prefer the 1970 version, though I did enjoy Naked when I first heard it not too long ago. I think it flows much better and prefer the "re-production".

24 October 20142.35pm

Ahhh Girl

sailing on a winedark open sea

Moderator

Forum Posts: 7241

Member Since: 20 August 2013

Online

249

I heard the song Let It Be this way this morning. I had never thought of it this way. Is this the way you think of it? Did it hit you that way right off the bat? In other words, I'm asking if I am slow on the uptake here.

For though they (The Beatles) may be parted (Paul saying "I hope maybe our differences can be resolved. I love this band, and I want them to stay together.")

There is still a chance that they will see (Paul saying to JGR, "Please, please, please, let's not break up forever.")

I wake up to the sound of music (made by The Beatles)

Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be (still hoping it will all work out)

And on a lighter note. This was also posted here. That is an example of how you shouldn't name a new thread, IMHO.

That video was possibly my introduction to The Beatles, or should I say The Beetles. That and Count It Higher, which was Twist And Shout. I remember watching a Rodney Dangerfield movie (Back To School, maybe), and during a scene in a bar Twist And Shout was playing and I realized that was the song Count It Higher was based on.

I've been watching that video a lot lately 'cause I still have the VHS of Count It Higher and some friends just had a baby and she loves Sesame Street. Gotta share the Beatles with the youth! We're actually watching her later today, so I may be watching that clip soon!

The Ringo Beetle is spot on in my opinion, doing the head bob thing. And I'm adding notes to my clipboard, @Ahhh Girl on how not to title a thread. That's pretty funny! "Hey Guys, Look What I Found!"

The following people thank Mr. Kite for this post:

Ahhh Girl

If I spoke prose you'd all find out, I don't know what I talk about.

Can buy Joe love!
If you're shopping at one of these two websites use the links below to support the Beatles Bible: Amazon | iTunes

Glyn Johns was just sixteen-years-old at the dawn of rock and roll. His big break as a producer came on the Steve Miller Band's debut album Children of the Future. He went on to engineer and produce such iconic albums as Abbey Road with The Beatles, Led Zepplin's and the Eagles' debuts, Who's Next by The Who, and many others. In his memoir, "Sound Man," set to be released on November 13, 2014, Johns take the reader on a tour of his world during the heady years of the sixties. He was there during some of the most iconic moments in rock history including the Stones' first European tour, Jimi Hendrix's appearance at Albert Hall in London, and The Beatles' performance on the roof of their Savile Road studio. Over the last two decades, Johns' career has shown no signs of slowing down. He has worked with Crosby, Stills and Nash, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Band of Horses, and most recently, Ryan Adams. Please join us in welcoming Glyn Johns to the Clive Davis Theater for a discussion about his book and prolific career with Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Scott Goldman.

BUY YOUR TICKETS
Doors open at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in person at the Museum Box Office or online. All proceeds benefit The GRAMMY Museum. For more information, please call (213.765.6803) or visit grammymuseum.org.

[x-posted to the news thread]

parlance

Beware of sadness. It can hit you. It can hurt you. Make you sore and what is more, that is not what you are here for. - George

Check out my fan video for Paul's song "Appreciate" at Vimeo or YouTube.

Can buy me love

The Beatles Bible is run for the love of anything and everything to do with The Beatles. If you've learned something new about the band and wish to show your appreciation, why not make a small donation via PayPal? It'll help with server costs, research material etc...